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Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 April 1999 Issue No. 424 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 April 1999 Issue No. 424
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Doubts and diplomacy
By Samia NkrumahSince the air raids against Serbia began, the Italian government has endeavoured to strike a balance between support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) of which Italy is a member, and concern at the continued bombing of Yugoslav military targets. Last week, parliament passed a motion that reflects the country's delicate position. While the vote sanctioned the country's loyalty to NATO, it at the same time urged the government to bring pressure to bear on the Western alliance to resume negotiations and called for all efforts to be harnessed to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis. The immediate result is that while Italy, in its capacity as a NATO member, must allow its bases to be used as launching pads for the strikes, it will henceforth be perceived as at best an unenthusiastic partner.
This cautious attitude is born out of a combination of political objections and national interests. On the one hand, the government is in a difficult position because two of the main coalition partners, the Greens and the Communists, are explicitly opposed to the strikes. If they were to withdraw their support, the coalition might collapse. Defence Ministry statements that two Italian Tornado jets took part in the strikes on Serbian military positions have further fuelled the opposition's anger, despite the government's assertions that these were part of what it described as an "integrated defence". However, the government might yet survive a communist pull-out, as long as the right-wing opposition party Forza Italia sticks to its earlier promise to back the ruling coalition should it find itself abandoned by one or more of its partners over the issue of the war against Yugoslavia. For their part, the separatist Northern League are also opposed to the NATO strikes.
But domestic political considerations are not the only factors influencing the government's attitude. There is a strong tradition in Italy, entrenched in the country's successive constitutions since World War II, that commits it to pacifist policies. The use of force is condoned only as a self-defence measure. Opinion polls suggest that those who think that the NATO raids are justified are in a minority here. And opinion on this matter cuts across both political and religious boundaries, with Catholics sharing the same pacifist views as far-left communists. "We can only conceive of war in emotional and ideological terms, not rational and pragmatic ones," wrote Angelo Panebianco in the Italy Daily.
Unlike Britain and France, which are relatively remote from the theatre of operations, Italy can already feel the repercussions of the expanding conflict. The country's airports along the Adriatic coast have been closed indefinitely due to the war in the Balkans. "The closure is disrupting trade and tourism. We are losing money because this coast, which is normally an Easter vacation site for Italians as well as foreigners, is unusually quiet," complained Antonio Gambino, a political analyst.
Then there is the Kosovo refugee crisis, which has already elicited a national aid campaign. Relief organisations are sending volunteers to Albania and fund-raising initiatives are being launched to assist them. Upon her return from the Albanian cities of Tirana and Kukes, Italian Interior Minister Rosa Russo Jervolino confirmed that Italy will be setting up relief centres on Albanian territory. With Albania and Macedonia grappling with a massive influx of refugees, there is every possibility that many of those fleeing the Serbian terror will eventually try to move west towards the Italian coastal border. The Italian authorities are already preparing for the arrival of thousands of refugees in the southern region of Puglia.
It is estimated that half a million people have left Kosovo over the last few months, including 120,000 who have departed since the strikes. European Union countries have announced emergency funds for the Kosovo refugees, and Emma Bonino, Italy's EU humanitarian affairs commissioner, travelled to Macedonia recently to oversee the humanitarian measures taken to help civilians affected by the crisis. She had already met with NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana Madariaga. "But in the absence of a common European policy on immigration, countries will be left to carry the burden of a mass influx of people individually," warned Gambino.
These developments could eventually trigger a public opinion backlash here. Already there have been protests in the streets of a number of cities including Rome, Milan, Genoa and Turin, as well as around the northeastern town of Aviano from which NATO jets are continuing to take off. A demonstration by some 5,000 protesters in Rome last week ended with the smashing of the windows of a Planet Hollywood restaurant. It should be remembered that Italians are still angry over the acquittal in America of a US marine pilot whose jet hit a ski-lift cable last year, killing around 20 people. The incident sparked a vigorous debate over the use of Italian bases by the US.
While it is becoming apparent that no quick end to the strikes against Yugoslavia can be foreseen for the moment, Rome and the Vatican are quietly launching diplomatic initiatives to try and bring about a cease-fire. Last week, Pope John Paul II told a delegation from the Council of Europe that violence was no way to resolve the crisis. After having issued several appeals for a non-violent solution to the conflict, the Vatican is now planning to send a delegation to Belgrade headed by its foreign minister, Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran. At the same time, the Italian ambassador in Belgrade has been working closely with the Papal nuncio to achieve a resumption of talks between NATO and the Serbian government. The ambassador also disclosed that he was attempting to secure the safe return of Antonio Russo, an Italian radio journalist, who is said to be the last foreign journalist in Pristina.
The Italians want the Contract Group, which includes Russia, the US, France and Germany as well as Italy, to reconvene. Italy also wants Russia to continue its diplomatic initiatives and act as a partner in any talks, in light of their strong backing for the Rambouillet agreement. Former Russian Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar and two other politicians from the pro-American faction known as "the reformists" met with the Pope in Rome earlier this week. Meanwhile, it was reported that the American F-117A Stealth fighter downed last week was brought down by a Russian-made anti-missile system sold to Belgrade before the present crisis erupted.
